18 February 2015 Philipsburg, St Maarten: On the Beach, French Style

One relatively small island, about 34 square miles or 87 square kilometers that holds two countries: the constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on the southern side, and the French overseas collectivity on the north.

We came into the dock in Philipsburg on the Dutch side, one of the largest cruise ship ports in the world.

P-burg, as locals call it, has been so successful in luring cruise ships to its still-expanding port complex that at times it is overwhelmed by tens of thousands of tourists wandering its narrow alleys and streets.

In fact, we made a change to our scheduled itinerary for this cruise moving our visit forward by one day so that we could find a parking space on a slightly less busy day.

The other side of the island, the French side, is somewhat less busy and possessed of the nicer beaches. It’s also a great place to get a fresh baguette.

We spent our day at Orient Beach, a lovely strand on the French side of the island. When my wife and I first came to the island almost 40 years ago, there was just a beach. Today there is a condo development and restaurants and bars. Still a fine beach, though.

Orient Beach on a rare day without sunbathers, some of whom seem to have underdressed for the occasion.

As you arrive the beach is for families of all sorts and shapes. If you wander to the right, you enter a zone where most of the visitors seemed to have forgotten their bathing suits. Some of them should rethink their packing skills.